Method of handling plastic material.



J. W. BUZZELL & W. H. LARKIN, JR. METHOD OF HANDLING PLASTIC MATERIAL.

. APPLICATION FILED JAN.25,1909.

951 754 Patented Mar.8,1910.

I f0 5 50 46 r: o

O 30 WW W a Witnesses J7 /L? /6 ntofs Josiah Vl zllzfamfiuzzell W- M6 2: WL'ZZL'CUTLHLQTZCZ'JL J2."

UNITED s rn'rns PATENT OFFICE.

Josue: wnnr'ra'nr BUZZEBIE, nssronaimn, NEW JEREY, AND WILLIAM 1r. ILA-REM;

- or 'nsroarn, INDIANA.

atnanon or manner-rte rnaserlcmarnnme.

analyzes.

Specification of Letters Yatent.

Patented Mal s, 1910.

duplication-filed. January 25 1299. Serial No. 474i045 5 r;s%otivcly, of East Qrange, in the county ssex {ind State at New Jersey,; and of Laporte, in the county of Laporte and State of Indiana, have irwented an lmprovenient in Methods of Handling Plastic lidnteria-l, of

which the'following description, inconnee- .tion with the accompanying drawings, is a specification like numerals on representing like. parts; L

Thisainvention reletesto the handling of the drawings 5 concrete or the like; I

' Our invention has fipfic'ial reference" to the handling of concrete. or the like by the use of air o'nfluid underfpressure so applied to the mixed material as toepropel or project the same through a conduit or pipe. Goncrete or like materials-are segregated nook bearing ceinentitious' mixtures containing sand, stone and cement usually and substantially in the proportion of per cent. seg- 5 regate'd rock'nia'tter and 40 percent. -Water,

sand and cement. The segregated rock material owing to its mass and specific gravity inherently tends to separate from the lighter particles 01' substances of the mixture when dropped or thrown through space 'or pneumatically conveyed through a conduit.

()ur invention aims so to convey concrete or like material as to preserve the integrity of the original mixed inass that is to say, to

regated rock material through the water,

sand and cement.

T he drawing in elevation and partial section illustrates one form of apparatus by which to. practice the method of our invention.

The apparatus shown in the draping is particularly designed for the handling of concrete which furnishes an excellent mate-. 5 rial with which to illustrate the nature of our invention.

In the drawing is shown a mixer 10, which may be of any desired type or construction, capable of mixing the stone, sand and cement or other elements deposited therein in proper or desired proportions for the production of concrete or the like and mixed in the resent instance by rotation ofjthe barrel of t *e mixer. Upon completion of the mixmaintain the distributive relation of the segformed, the mixed segregated melt bearing concrete orlike miztune mass is discharge through aspout 1 2 into a hop on 20Jmv1-nga frusto-comcali bottom cl at its outlet by a valve, as mkgivotally supported at c0 and provided w aiming handle 23'; The material discharged into the open hopper 2'0) may by openingsaid vot ve 21 be a suitable countcrbal-- dropped into or deposited la a chamber 251! hovang'nlso and preierably a conical. outlet end; The outlet from said chamber 25- is controlledby a suitable nalive, here represented as a piston valve 30- having traverse across the mouth of the chamber outlet and controlled as to its position by a handle lever 81. Beyond said valve and communicating with the chamber outlet is a pipe or conduit 26 leading to the point of discharge of the concrete.

Air or other Quid under pressure may be admitted to the chamber 25 in any suitable manner to act liiherein upon the contained concrete to expel it through the pipe 26 to its destination. In the present instance, we have provided nearthe upper end of the chamber nn air inlet 41 controlled by a. valve 42' connected with an air'supply 40. Between the valvel2 and the chamber is a dis charge pipe 43 controlled by a valve 44, whereby to relieve the pressure within said chamber when desired to facilitate opening the chamber 25 near the outlet thereof and has its downturned endpointed in the direction of travel of theconcrete esca ing from said chamber. The pipes 53 an 50 are controlled respectively by valves 54 and -51. The jet devices or f boosters 50, 52. or

their equlvalcnts are especially serviceable where the material is to be transmitted over long distances. The jet devices so and 52 ,are employed merely to supplement the main ing operation hnmvir or however perair or fluid supply in forcing the concrete 1 1 (III onward and do not destroy concrete column hereinafter referred to, impairfthe consolidation thereof.

In operating the apparatus, the piston valve 30 controlling the outlet for the chamber 25 ismoved to the left to close said out let, whereupon the concrete which may have been previously deposited in the hopper is permitted to drop through the open valve 21 into and more or less to fill said chamber 25, vahereupon said valve 21 is closed and pressure is admitted to the chamber 25 from the pressure inlet 41. This pressure may be admitted either before or after the outlet of the chamber has heen'opened by moving the piston valve into its position shown in the drawing. Howeverthis may be, when the said valve isopen and the pressure is or has been admitted to the chamber above the mass of concrete therein said pressure acting nor upon the entire exposed surface of the con tained mass of concrete will cause the latter to be expelled in a solid column through the conduit or pipe 26 to its destination. It is important that the mixed mass be gradually or progressively compacted by contracting the diameter of the mass to that of a condensed, consolidated column. That is to say,

the diameter of the conduit.

in order to transfer the concrete in its properly mixed condition in the conduit and without permitting the lighter in edients of the mixed mass to break through and be driven in advance of the other constituents thereof, the mass is compacted or progressively'reduced or contracted by the conical lower end of the chamber 25 to substantially By progressively compacting or contracting the mass into a condensed or consolidated column, we

{mare enabled to discharge the concrete in that thdioughly mixed condition in which it was massed in the chamber 25.

We are aware that it has heretofore been attempted to transport grout under pneuasinutic )rcssure but out and concrete are essentially difi'erent in their constituents and nature and must be handled uite differently. Grout is essentia ll liquid and may be handled like Water, w ereas concrete is so mix made up of Watery elements as Well as segregated stone and. the greatest care must be taken to prevent the separation of the water from the stone and similarly to prevent separation of the other particles which go to make up concrete, such as sand, cement and the like. If air ressure be applied to the surface'of a ho y of Water or grout, the latter will eventually be forced out through a stop cock or hole or outlet provided therefor, and the mobility of the mass permits and causes it under the action of the pressure constantly to find its level and eventually the exit from. the receptacle. Concrete, on the contrary, unless properly handled will lose its mixed condition, the

lighter and liquid particles leavin the heavier segregated stone, thus not only destroying the mix but leaving all the heavier particles unacted upon by the air, and therefore undelivered at the required point.

In conveying concrete to a distant point, the nature of the mass makes it important to present to the air as large a superficial quired pressure to move so heavy a mass, acted upon by this relativel ante be gradually compacte in opposition td the action of the air and reduced to a relatively small condensed column leading .to the delivery point, the mass asa whole will gradually be ex elled through the outlet in this condense column form without separating and destroying the parts of the mix and without leaving any of the mass in the receptacle undelivered. We have found that concrete may be so transmitted for considerable distances amounting to hundreds of feet varying, of course, with the dimensions of the mass and the degree of pressure employed. 4

Whatever be the pressure or the size and to employ, such pressure by acting upon the entire ex osed surface of the mixed mass in the cham er 25 expels su'c i mass without in any sense destroying its r tegrity; That is to say, the distribution of the segregated rock material through the other constituents of the mass is preserved throughout the transmission thereof so that the material is received at its destination in precisely that mixed and distributive condition in which it was deposited in said chamber 25. As suggested in the preamble, this is of the utmost importance in the handling. of concrete because if the mixture once carefully prepared Were substantially disturbed in trans mission, it wouldbe practically useless when received at its destination.

\Vhile we prefer to employ surface pressure applied to the mass in the chamber 525, l our invention nevertheless comprehends the use of. jet devices, such as indicated at 50 and 52. It will be observed that these jet l devices are so placed as to deliver their ref spective jets within the mass flowing through the pipe 26, and consequently do not'dlsturb the mixture or condition of the 1 mass said d'evlces, so to speak, against the solid walls of material standing in front thereof. l \Ve are aware that it has been attempted to transmit grain and other dry articles by the use of air currents, but so far as we know this has almostjnvariably been accomplished either by delivering the grain laterally into a conduit through which a current of air is maintained in motion and area as possible in order to obtain the m shape'of the segregated rock bearing mix-- ture or the distance found most convenient which picks up the particles as they enter such apparatus a vacuum is first created in I sisting of water with sand and cement in and carries them along individuall in suspension, or else a current of air has been employed which contacts with the mass ex-' teriorly, contradistinguished from interiorly, and picks off the particles in a more or less segregated cendition, resulting, as in the first instance, in carrying them along in suspension.

Contradistinguished from such method as the foregoing, our method aims to maintain the. integrity of the mass, even thoughits form may be changed, and to push the mass along in its integral state, either by pressure applied wholly from behind it and squeezing it along, so to speak, or else by air jets so clvalivered into or behind the mass or portions thereof as to push it along without segregating or separating its particles.

'Ve are aware that attem ts have been made to handle mud and the ike by the use of a vacuum chamber communicating-at one side through the inlet pipe with the river bottom and at its opposite side through the delivery pipe with the point of destination at which-the mud is to be deposited. In

the chamber which draws mud from the river bottom into and so as substantially to fill the vacuum chamber, after which the inlet is closed, the outlet opened and air or. steam under pressure admitted to expel the mass through theoutlet pi e to its destination. In such apparatus, t e use of a vacuum for filling the vacuum chamber is quite as apt to destroy the nature of a proper mixture by causing some of the particles drawn along to outrun others, as is a flight of air carrying segregated particles in suspension, and furthermore a permanently" closed chamber is required for the filling'tl'iereof whereas in the handling of concrete upon a commercialscale it is important to be able to fill the charging or discharging chamber in the open air.

Grout which is practically a liquid, con

suspension, has been pneumatically con veyed, but the method of mixing the same has invariably been such as would destroy. the distributive relation of the segregated rock materials with respect to the other substances of which concrete and the like are composed.

While our invention-is especially adapted for handling concrete and other cementitious segregated rock bearing materials, it is nevertheless adapted for use in conveying or transmitting any semi-liquid or fluent segregated rock bearing mass, since, when used in donnection with such mass, it pro:

vides for the highest eticiency combined with the greatest economy; thate'ls to say, it permits of the greatest amount of mate,

rial being delivered in a given time at a given distance with a minimum of fluid under pressure for the propulsion or trans mission thereof.

'.,In practice, either the surface pressure or the {ct devices may be used or they may be emp oyed conjointly as occasion may require and in lieu of air wevmay employ steam or other fluid under pressure.

Whenever it is desired to use fluid or a liquid material such, for example, as Water, either for assisting the flow of the materials or for flushing out the apparatus, the same may be dmitted to the pipe 4:0 in any convenient manner.* The pi e 50 is shown as extended beyond the branc 53 and broken OH to permit of its connection with another similar apparatus should it be desired to use a series instead of one.

The apoaratus here shown as adapted for the use oi our improved system is substantially identical with that shown 1n Letters Patent of the United States issued to r and gradually and progressively contract ing the saidma'ss as it moves under the action of said pressure toward said outlet, to

form a contracted and condensed delivery. column and to prevent said expelling pressure from breaking through into the deliv-v ery conduit and varying the mix of the concrete during the conveyance thereof.

In testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSIAH WILLIAM BUZZELL. WILLIAM H. LARKIN, J R. Witnesses to signature'of Josiah William Buzzell: W. H. LAINE, GEORGIE H. Cnnoc..

\Vitnesses to signature of William H. Larkin, J12: 7

HERMAN R. MILLER, WILLIAM E. Hiccms. 

